Page 128 of Dirty Grovel

I glance around, trying to find at least one redeeming quality about this apartment. “It’s horrible, Syd. And I don’t want you living here.”

She sighs before looking past me at the realtor. “Louis, would you mind giving us a minute or two?”

“Of course. I’ll be right outside.” He sneers at me one more time for good measure before he slips away.

“Try not to get shot,” I mutter to him under my breath as he takes his attitude for a walk.

Sydney turns to me, her lips pinched together tight. “I’m not exactly working with a huge budget here, Sut. I can’t afford to be too picky.”

“Exactly. So why not just hunker down at our place until you get back on your feet?”

“That could take months. Years, even.”

“It takes as long as it takes,” I insist. “You can’t rush these things. Oleg and I have no problem having you around.”

But she just shakes her head. “You guys are getting married; you’re about to have a baby. I don’t want to be in the way.”

“You won’t be.” I clutch her hands. “Seriously, Syd. I want you around!”

“That’s very sweet. But maybeIdon’t want to be around.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Sydney draws in a slow breath. “I love you, Sut, but this is your time, your family, your new beginning. And I suppose it’s inspired me to pursue my own. And that starts with me getting independent.”

After freakingyearsin a co-dependent, unhealthy, abusive relationship, she decides she wants to be independentnow?

Great timing.

“You’ve been through a lot, Sydney,” I cry. “What’s the rush? Why not take the time to recover a bit first?”

She turns away from me, shielding her eyes behind her long, lustrous blonde hair. I’m not sure why that gets my spidey senses tingling.

No. I’m just being silly. Reading into things. There’s no reason to believe that Sydney is lying to me. Why would she? What’s the point?

“Okay, fine. If you’re adamant about moving out, then I’ll support you. But I have to approve of the place you move into,” I say. “I think that’s fair.”

Sydney laughs, her eyes veering to the windows for a moment as though she’s having second thoughts about this place, too.

“I think you need to look up what ‘fair’ means.”

“This is about your well-being, your safety, your happiness. That makes itourdecision.”

Sydney winks at me. “You’re cute. Shall we ask Louis to take us through all the other features of the apartment?”

“Uh, how about we tell Louis to help us count all the ways an intruder could break in? So far, I’m up to six.”

“You’re determined not to like this place,” Sydney sighs.

“This apartment made it easy,” I snap, hooking my hand through her arm and steering her towards the door. “Come on, Syd—I’ve spent years worrying about you. I’d like to stop now and I can’t do that if you live here.”

She makes a little protesting noise. But she lets me lead her out onto the pavement.

She’s busy waving over Louis when I spot a startlingly familiar figure from the corner of my eye. He’s standing on the opposite side of the street, half-covered by a large California fan palm.

No.

No, it can’t be.

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